Evacuator



April 7, 1931. K, KIEFER 1,799,591

EvAcUAToR Original Filed Dec. l8 19,22

l Inventor Kaff/w V manner, by simple; means.

Patented Apr. 7, V1931 UNITED STATES PATENT -oFFiCB KARL Yiginiiiin, Yon CINCINNATI, f ori-1ov l EVAcUATon continuation of application `Serial No.

Y f 1930. serial l'be evacuated there-trom back to the liquidl supply.

IThe objectfof my invention is to operate such .devices in j'at'niore positive and .certain vOther `objects will appear in the cour-se of4 .the ensuing 1des'cription. Y v f- 1 attain these objects bythe-device y-illustrated, `for example, in the laccompanying drawing, iinwhich- Figure 1 is a :plan view Jof the ,device in connection ,'witha vacuum-operated vlilling apparatusgand Fig-2 Lis a verticalsectionon the plane of Fig. 3 :is afvertiealsection of the-threeway valve. v

rlhe filling apparatus shown is similar to that disclosed vvand claimed in `my,.co-.pending fapplication, Serial No. ,544,236,1iled March 16, 1922. The iilling head 1 has a yllingtube 2 entering :the container A with a gasket or V:seal 3 varound it against the container top.A The vacuum pipefileads--trom thetop of l this Ahead, -and a small overflow tubef leads into the vacuum pipe 4: from an opening out through the side of fthe filling tube 2 just above the loweropen end of this tube,l inthe container; The supply `pipe 6 leads .from vthe lower lpart of the -`reservoir '7 up into the annular space around the overflow tube 5 -in-thehead 1,whencethe liquid is discharged through the filling tube 2 intothecontainerf fA check 4valve `8 prevents backflow f'from the ;.'head to the reservoir. [As 'air is `exhausted fromithe 4container fAthrough the vacuum fpipe, @atmospheric pressure on the liquid kkinthe reservoir-7 forces liquid -up lthrough l thefsupply-.pipe6,-1pastthercheck lvalve 8,L into ,the container. 4'When theliquid has risen in theacontainer tothe mouth of the overlowtube 5, further inflow of'liquid Iis. drawn .outthrough thefvacuumpipei until.- the con- *tainen is removed, whereupon the pressure is fbalancejdgatthesopen end ,of the lfillingtube 2 Lhaving an upper chamber -10,.down through the top of which leads the vacuum -pipe 4.

607,758,4i1ed December 1s, 1922. This application ined May a,

by the atmosphere, holding the liquid up thatj remains in the tube; the check valve 8 Vpre- A venting flow ofthis liquid bacl into the reservoir. lThis description isgiven merely to exemplify a use of my improved evacuator, which removes from the vacuum pipe t the' liquid thus overflowing while. the container is left on the iilling device after ,iilling tothe desired height. Fig. k2 shows the disposition d oie-.the liquid at this stage ot the operation, fillingthe container,gthe-illingtube, the supply tube, the overflow tube, andthe vacuum pipe, and vdrawing from this-pipe into vthe evacuator. Y i

This evacuator comprises the enclosure 9 fio A continuation 11 of this Vvpipe leads out through thi-s top to a suitable vacuum pump 12fadapted to maintain a desired degree of r `vacuum in the pipea, chamber 10 and vconnecting pipe 11 as long as driven yby the motor y 13 to Vwhich it is belted. p

The enclosure Salso has thelower chamber '14, land a drain pipe 15 leads .from the bottom., 75 of the upper chamber 10 down nearto'the bottom ot the lowerchamber, 'where'v its open lower end isvprovided with a check valvel closinglagainst pneumatie pressure externally of this drainpipe in the lower chamber 14. From the bottom ot this lower 'chamber another drain .pipe 17 leads ydownlinto the reservoir 7 from which the iillingapparatus is supplied; extendingfar enough down Y* therein Jfor the liquid contents thereof to 85 Vform a liquid seal around the' lower end of this Vdrain pipe 17, whichk vpreferably also hasy a check valve 18 closingagainst the atmos-v pheric pressure to kkwhich the reservoir 7 is exposed. n

,The three-way valvecomp'rises the casing 1 9 with one end open and having ynext toits f other end an annular space 20concentric with the bearing .of the shaft ofthe rotor 21 which lits closelyin the casing 19 andhas anv annu- `95 lar'periplieral channel 22. across which ex- Atend two partitions 23 a small distanceapart relatively to the circumference of thefrotor. y Inthewally of the channel at the `outer exposed end of the rotor 21,betweenmthe-two partitions 23, is an opening 211; and in the opposite wall of this channel 22 next to the annular space 2O of the casing 19 are holes at intervals throughout the extent of the peripheral channel 22 except between the partitions 23. A pipe 26 leads from the annular space 2O of the casing 19 into the pipe 11 that leads to the vacuum pump 12. Another pipe 27 leads fromthe upper part of the lower chamber 14 of the enclosure 9, through the wall of the casing 19 and opensl in registry with the annular peripheral channel 22 of the rotor 21. The shaft of this rotor 21 has fiXed on it a worm wheel 28, meshing with a kworm 29 on an extension of the shaft of the vacuum pump 12;

The valve rotor 21 thus is rotated slowly, and most of the time its peripheral channel 22 is connecting the lower chamber 11i of the enclosure 9 with the inlet of the vacuum pump 12 through the holes 25 in the channel wall, the annular space 20 of the casing 19 and the pipe 26 entering the inlet pipe 11. During this time, the smaller part of the channel 22, between the partitions 23, which has the atmospheric inlet opening 211, is closed f peripherally by the wall of the casing 19.

But While this small part of the channel is passing in registry with the pipe 2T that leads from the chamber 14.-, atmospheric pressure is admitted vthrough the opening 2%1 to this pipe 27 and chamber lll; while the partitions 23, against the casing wall exclude this pressure from the remainder ofthe channel and the vacuum system connected therewith through the holes 25.

Thus, for a short period during each revo lution of the rotor 21, the liquid overflowing into the upper chamber 10 'from the vacuum ipe 4: freely drains down into the lower chamberr 14 through the drain pipe 15, since i there is a balanced sub-atmospheric pressure in both chambers 10 and 1e. This liquid will remain up inthis lower chamber L1 under atmospheric pressure at the outlet end of the lower drain pipe 1'? during this time. Then for a much shorter period during each revolution of the rotor 21, the lower chamber 14 is cut ofi from the vacuum pump .12 and opened to the atmosphere 'through the rotor opening 24. This pressure closes the check valve 16 at the outlet end of the upper drain pipe 15, since the vacuum continues in the upper chamber 10, vconnected directly with the pump 12 through the vacuum pipe continuation 11. A balanced atmospheric pressure in the lower chamber 14: and reservoir 7 now exists, andthe liquid accumulated in `the lower chamber 14v flows freely down into the reservoir Y @verflow from, the vacuum pipe 4 during this short period accumulates in the upper chamber 10, to flow down to the lower chamber 111 as soon as the sub-atmospheric balance is restored by further rotation of the valve rotor 21.

The operation of the device thus is intermittent, but is positive, at regular intervals, as distinguished from more or less uncertainly operating devices dependent upon difference of pneumatic or hydraulic pressure, in prior evacuators, traps and the like. This positive operation is especially advantageous when the liquid overflowing into the vacuum system is heavy, and viscid or sticky, causing sticking of valves which must operate under the control of such pressures in prior devices. An example of such liquids is syrup, or any liquid having a large amount of sugar in it; such liquids being filled into containers by vacuum filling apparatus, such as that herein illustrated, with great facility by the aid of my present invention.

This device is illustrated in conjunction with a filling apparatus, but it will be understood that other uses of it may occur; and while a peculiar use and certain constructional details have been specifically described herein, l do not wish to be understood as being limited to such precise showing and description, but having thus fully described my invention, as is required, 'Y

What l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. 1n a vacuum filling system an enclosure in which sub-atmospheric pressure is continuously employed to draw liquid into said enclosure, a second enclosure having an inlet from the first enclosure and having a drainage outlet, a check valve opening inwardly from said inlet, a check valve opening outLi wardly to the atmosphere from said outlet, and means operated independently of liquid level and pneumatic pressure in said enclosures, to alternately create atmospheric and sub-atmospheric pressures in saidy second-l` enclosure.

2. 1n a vacuum filling system, where the overflowing liquid is continuously under subatmospheric pressure, means for removing said overflow by gravity to a reservoir open to the atmospheric pressure, by means including an air-tight chamber having a check valve inlet and a check valve outlet, and means operating automatically independentlv of liquid level in said chamber to rhythmi l` cally and alternately produce sub-atmospheric pressure in this chamber-or restore atmospheric pressure therein.

3. In a vacuum filling system wherein containers are filled by maintaining a partial:

vacuum' therein until they are filled and overflow and where such overflowing liquid is always under partial vacuum, means to remove this overflow liquid by gravity to an atmospheric reservoir below, comprising an airtight chamber having a check valved inlet and check valved outlet and communicating by the inlet with the vacuum filling system and means ryhthmically timed and operated by a moving part of said filling machine system so as to drain said chamber by permitting atmospheric pressure therein from time to time to alternate With sub-atmospheric pressure.

4. In a vacuum filling system wherein containers are lled by' maintaining a partial vacuum therein until they overflow, the overflowing liquid standing under continuous subatmospheric pressure(` means to remove such Y overiioW liquid from its sub-atmospheric location, including a double check valved closed chamber, the inlet check valve communicating with the overflow, the outlet check valve to discharge by gravity the overilovv liquid to an atmospheric reservoir below, and a pneumatic controlling valve rhythmically timed and operated by a moving part of said vacuum lling system, so as to drain the closed chamber by permitting atmospheric pressure therein to alternate with sub-atmospheric pressure; l

KARL KIEFER. 

